Glossary
What is Run to Failure?
Run to failure (RTF) is a maintenance strategy where no preventive maintenance is performed; the asset is operated until it fails and then repaired. It is a deliberate choice for non-critical, low-consequence assets where the cost of PM exceeds the cost of occasional repair.
What it means
RTF is one outcome of RCM or criticality analysis: for some assets, reactive repair is the most cost-effective approach.
Why it matters
- No scheduled PM; repair only when the asset fails.
- Suitable for low-criticality, low-cost-to-repair assets.
- Failure should be recorded for history and trend analysis.
- Not appropriate for safety-critical or high-impact assets.
Example in maintenance operations
A spare pump that is rarely used may be run to failure. A critical production motor usually is not.
Related concepts
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